


Into the Dark Dark Woods

by DigitalMoriarty



Category: Justice League - All Media Types, Marvel, Teen Titans - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Always read the fine print, Canon welding FTW?, Dark Fairy Tale, Do not fuck with the Maximoffs, Multi, Original Characters dying to set up plot, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pietro was super nice before Things Went Down, Villain protagonist? Sort of?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 07:07:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13049031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalMoriarty/pseuds/DigitalMoriarty
Summary: Some fairy tales don't have happy endings. Some fairy tales don't have happy beginnings. Sometimes the only sort of happiness you find in fairy tales is what you make yourself. And sometimes, just sometimes, it's better to sit upon a throne of bones than to be a hero. Their mother taught them that, and they are very much her children.





	Into the Dark Dark Woods

**Author's Note:**

> I hope people enjoy this. It's... odd, but hopefully there's a niche for creepy semi-fairy tales.

"And why should I help you?" drawled the shadowed woman, perched upon her throne of bones. The pair of children knelt before her shivered at the sound of her chill voice, but the younger of the pair, a little girl, looked up. Dark eyes blazing, brown hair tangled and matted, she spoke "Because they're your enemies too. They're coming here next. You _have_ to help us!"   
  
"Sister!" hissed her brother, still looking at the floor, as the woman laughed.

 

"My enemies too? Child, they are no more my enemies then the wheat is an enemy to a scythe. I could crush them with ease. And as for 'have' to help you? I don't _have_ to do anything. Listen to your brat of a brother. Shut up and go home little girl!"

  
At this the girl stood. "I'm not going home," she said, her voice angry, "We don't have a home to go back to. I'll give you anything you want, just help us."  
  
As her brother looked on in terror the woman stood up. "Anything? I like you child, you're so idealistic. What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Wanda. My brother is Pietro."  
  
"Really? And do you know who I am?"  
  
"Yes. You are the Shade Witch Senka. We came because we heard tales that you would aid people for a price."  
  
"Ah, a smart one are you? Fine then little Wanda. I will give you and Pietro the power you request. In exchange, you will give me your pretty looks and your brother will give me his pretty heart. Agreed?"  
  
The siblings looked as each other, and Wanda dropped to her knees next to her brother. Clasping his hands, she whispered "Brother, she wants… How can she take those?" Pale, Pietro whispered back "She's the Shade Witch, she can take anything! Sister, let's leave, we haven't agreed to anything yet! We can still get out!" With a shake of her head, Wanda's youthful face hardened. "No. We're going to avenge them, avenge Mother. We can do this brother…"  
  
"Excuse me? I'm a busy lady. Make your choice already!"  
  
The pair looked up to see the witch standing, a large panther on each side and a sheet of parchment in her hand. "Agreed, or not? Hmmm? I do have other people to help you know. I'm not asking for much, not money, not lives, just a few little things… You won't even miss them…"  
  
With clenched teeth Wanda stood up and shook out her brown hair as best she could. "We agree."  
  
  
  
With a flourish of the Shade Witch's hand, a black quill pen appeared hovering before of the proffered paper. "Sign. Both of you. Then the power's all yours'."  
  
Dropping her brother's hand, young Wanda stood, and walked forward. With a trembling hand she grasped the pen and signed her name carefully. "Ah, ah, ah dear. Both of you must sign. This magic does not come without price and the price must be paid." The brunette looked back at her brother who shivered and stood. "Do not fear me little Pietro, I'm only going to help you!"  
  
With an audible gulp, the young man took the quill from his sister, and signed the parchment. As he finished the last letter of his name, the pen disappeared and the parchment glowed blue. "And so it is done. Come children."  
  
The witch turned with a swirl of skirts, a large cat pacing on either side. "Orpheus, fetch my spell books. Erebus, fetch the ingredients I'll need." With a bow of their heads, the panthers loped off in opposite directions. With a nervous look into each other's eyes, the siblings followed the powerful woman. Walking with quick strides, the witch led the way to a vaulted chamber, decorated with precious metals and gems, a mosaic across the walls and ceiling and pillars. Gesturing to a padded bench against the far wall, she instructed, "Sit. Both of you. I will tell you when you are needed."  
  
With a smile on her face that made both children shiver, the Shade Witch revealed a silver cauldron situated at the center of the room. Tapping her foot for a moment, she smiled wider as one of the panthers returned, bearing a silken bag in its mouth.  
  
"Such a good boy Erebus. Now, go speed your brother's feet," purred the dark woman to her pet as she took the bag from his jaws. With a bow and a lick to her hand, the huge cat bounded off. Opening the bag, the Shade Witch began to take out ingredients for her spell. "The apple of a mother's eye, maiden's tears, sorrow's crystal…" she named off as the items were dropped into the silver vessel, now being heated by a magical fire.  
  
"Sister, please. I think this is a trap. Let's run while we still can!" whispered Pietro urgently from his seat on the bench, squeezing his younger sister's hand. Before he could say more, or she could reply, the Witch's head turned.

 

"Now now dearies, you wouldn't be thinking of running away from me now would you? Because it wouldn't work even if you could. That parchment you signed binds you to me. Ah, and now here's Orpheus with my books."

 

Taking the heavy leather tomes from her feline aide, she nodded towards the siblings, "Boys. Keep our guests entertained while I prepare." Turning back to her mix, Senka opened her books and began to chant in a soft eerie voice as she added still more things into the now glowing cauldron. Pacing over to the children, the panthers chuckled at the looks on their faces.  
  
"What, didn't know we could talk? Oh, we can. No use screaming little ones, the mistress is almost ready for you to take the stage…"   
  
Before either Pietro or Wanda could gather breath to speak, the Shade Witch turned and commanded, "Little lady, time to fulfill your part of the deal."

 

Looking terrified at the woman's suddenly fanged grin and the clouded crystal knife in her hand, Wanda tried to run, only to find her body moving slowly toward the witch. "Now darling, this won't hurt a bit," whispered the woman as she lowered her blade to Wanda's face.  
  
"Sister!" Pietro screamed as his sister began to yell and thrash in the Shade Witch's iron grasp.   
  
Falling back, her face a bloody horror, Wanda could do nothing but shriek in pain as the sorceress dropped her flesh into the cauldron. "Now, come here Pietro. I have a few things that must be done before I can finish this spell…"   
  
Even though Pietro, like his sister before him, tried to get away, his body betrayed him and began walking nearer to the cauldron. The woman, meanwhile, had moved to reveal a pale stone slab with the vague form of a person indented within it before stepping back to her now frothing cauldron. Pietro, standing terrified beside the vessel, his sister's blood soaking into his thin shoes, watched as she dropped the still bloody crystal knife into the cauldron. "There. Your sister has given up her beauty. It's your turn Pietro…" Suddenly, Pietro regained control of his body and bolted for the door, only to fall face down on the marble floor. "Now, now little boy. We can't be disappointing mistress, now can we? That would be rude…"   
  
Pietro managed to twist his head enough to see the golden green eyes of the panther that stood on his back, whispering in his ear. Dragging him by the collar back to the Shade Witch, the big cat purred as she stroked his head with one hand and used to the other to grab the white haired boy.

 

"You signed the contract brat. Your heart is mine," hissed the sorceress as she held Pietro face down over the cauldron. Taking another crystal blade from her sleeve, glittering black, Senka slid it into its new sheath, Pietro's chest. With a few quick motions, she threw the young man away like a paper wrapper and held his heart up to the ghostly light. With a triumphant smile, she licked the blade clean and dropped it and the boy's heart into the boiling froth.

 

"You've kept your bargain, now I'll keep mine," she whispered, lifting the cauldron with a grunt and pouring the multihued liquid into the stone mold. "Come Erebus, Orpheus. Let's let our new friend set before we tell him of his duties."  
  
When the Shade Witch and her panther companions returned to the chamber, a slim, rose red skinned man sat on the stone looking down at the two bodies on the floor. Looking up, he smiled shyly and Senka returned the expression.

 

"Right my dear. You know what to do. I'll take care of these two. Go off and destroy that silly army and then come back, I have chores that need doing."

 

Turning, with Orpheus and Erebus behind her, the witch didn't see her creation draw a pair of crystal knives from his chest, one white and one black. Moving with supernatural speed, he stabbed the blades into the panthers' spines. Yanking them out with an innocent giggle, the construct grinned at the enraged Senka, who now faced him. "What?! How!? You're supposed to be obedient to me! I made you!"  
  
"No. You didn't. Wanda and Pietro made me. You just put me together. And now it's time to fulfill your half of the contract."   
  
Lunging at the homunculus, the Shade Witch gasped as the twin blades entered her chest. Desperately trying to breath as the blood bubbled from her mouth, the Shade Witch's last words were, "I can't die, I'm the Shade Witch Senka! I'm immort…"   
  
"No. You're not. You're dead," murmured the creation as he turned. Kneeling down next to Wanda's body he whispered "Mother? I'm awake. What would you have me do?"

 

Forcing herself to sit, the blood on her face clotted into a nightmare, Wanda replied "Fix Pietro. I know you know how. I've got something to take care of."  
  
Bowing, the construct walked carefully over to Pietro. Turning the boy's corpse over, he dragged the Shade Witch's body closer. Plunging his hands into the dead sorceress's chest, he yanked out her heart, removing dark strands of energy before slipping it into the young man's chest. As her brother glowed softly and returned to life, Wanda took the discarded blades and used them to nick the ears of Senka's helpers, which having cast off their panther guises, appeared as odd puppet like creatures with their strings cut.

 

"Wake up. You serve me now." With jerking motions the puppets arose, and bowed to the young woman.  


Looking back at her brother, who was now leaning on the construct, color returning to his face, she spoke. "Pity you never asked me who our parents were Senka, you might have survived if you had." Kicking the woman's corpse, she moved to her older sibling and the creature supporting them. "You need a name. I'll call you Vision. How's that?"  
  
"That would be wonderful Mother," replied the newly named man as he bowed slightly.   
  
"Sister?" Murmured Pietro, looking up in shock at the bloody scene before him.

  
"Never underestimate the power of a child seeking revenge," replied Wanda as she turned, a smile brightening her still bloody face. "Now, we have a lot of work to do, starting with cleaning this place up. If I'm going to be the new Shade Witch I want better furniture." 

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter should be up soon, which is where most of the other characters will be showing up, and where some of the relationships actually start.


End file.
